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MS Dhoni might play with India qualifying for the final

Before the Sri Lanka match, Dhoni played football and was seen sprinting without much difficulty. Kohli confirmed that he could play the final if fit.

Port of Spain: India's stand-in captain Virat Kohli hinted that the regular captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni could be fit for the final and might even play if India makes it that far, which they eventually did by beating Sri Lanka on Tuesday. Kohli made the statement during the toss here.

Before the match, MS Dhoni was playing football and was seen sprinting without much difficulty. He performed a few fielding drills as well.

The Indian cricket team was dealt with a major blow when Dhoni was ruled out of the series due to a hamstring injury after the first match against West Indies, prompting the BCCI to appoint Kohli as the stand-in skipper. Batsman Ambati Rayudu was flown in as Dhoni's replacement.

Dhoni did not keep wickets against the West Indies in the first match in Jamaica after sustaining a hamstring injury while batting. He handed over the wicketkeeping duties to tea-mmate Dinesh Karthik in the match, which the West Indies won by one wicket.

The 31-year-old skipper, who led India's triumphant campaign at the ICC Champions Trophy, was to be examined by the doctors. In Dhoni's absence, India's nine-match winning streak was brought to a halt and their subsequent 161-loss to Sri Lanka raised questions on Kohli's captaincy. But in their third match, India registered a thumping 102-run victory over the hosts to get back in the tournament.